Saturday, January 10, 2009

Shaking up the status quo is a risky business. Entrenched political interests -- read Democrats and Republicans -- have erected a complex set of tripwires and booby traps to discourage any political activity outside of their control.

Protected from the outside, rule number one on the inside is "Don't shake things up." Expecting those who benefit from the status quo to change things is like expecting North Korea to hold free elections.

I've added three new links for those who are willing to take a risk.

The first is to the South Carolina Policy Council. Its president, Ashley Landess, spoke at the January 2009 monthly meeting about the Council's efforts to make the case for increased state government transparency. The Policy Council is a 501(c)3 engaged in education and research.

You'll find the link to the Policy Council under "Free Market Links" down the left-hand side your screen.

You'll also find a new link for the South Carolina Club for Growth. The Club is a 501(c)4, which means it can engage directly in political campaigns. The Club promotes state candidates who can reliably carry the message of limited government.

The third link is under "Related Events." There you'll find a link to the BB&T Speaker Series at the Initiative for Public Choice and Market Process at the College of Charleston. The Initiative is bringing in Mike Munger, Chair of the Political Science Department at Duke University.